Summer Break is Closing in Fast

Summer break is just around the corner and the kids will be home with you…all day. What will you do when faced with all of that energy?  How do you respond to your child when they say, “I’m bored?”  Just smile and take them to the library!  We have lots of fun and free programs lined up this summer that are geared to get your kids moving as well as reading. 

Making 2016 a Year to Remember: Part 4 – Special Interest & Hobbies

OOPS!!!  We’ve been unforgivably lax in getting posts up for the last few months.  But I would say that there is an EXTREMELY good reason.  We’ve got some EXCITING new construction happening here at the Main Library and our focus has been pulled towards the ever changing and evolving landscape and all of the things that go along with that (signs directing people, grabbing photos, seeking out musical rhythms in the mechanical noise ;), etc…).  More on this to come.

So, with that thought – please enjoy perusing this listing of special interest and hobby titles.  Book descriptions are taken from the library catalog listings.

 

Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Minecraft Mods Programming by Rogers Cadenhead

Ideal for Minecraft users, young and old, who are new to programming. Clear and friendly style assumes no prior programming knowledge.  Rogers breaks down Minecraft mods programming concepts and terms into short, easily understandable lessons.  

Making 2016 a Year to Remember: Part 3 – Makers & Crafters

This list features books about the makers movement and other topics that may help to inspire you creatively or to acquire new skills.  Book descriptions are taken from the library catalog listings.

The Artisanal Vinegar Maker’s Handbook: Crafting Quality Vinegars–Fermenting, Distilling, Infusing by Bettina Malle – Translated into English for the first time, this guide offers tips on vinegar fermentation, distillation, and infusion. Detailed, step-by-step instructions for over a hundred recipes illuminate this fascinating process for beginners, and even experienced vinegar crafters alike.

The Better Bag Maker: An Illustrated Handbook of Handbag Design – Techniques, Tips, and Tricks by Nicole Mallalieu – If you want to make gorgeous, quality bags with the professional edge that really makes the difference between home-made and handmade, open The Better Bag Maker by Nicole Mallalieu. In this how-to book Nicole reveals her high-end techniques, shortcuts, and secrets for professional design and finishes.

Making 2016 a Year to Remember: Part 2 – Fun with the Family

This is the first list that I mentioned in my previous post. It covers books with kid/family friendly activities. Book descriptions are taken from the library catalog listings.

Baking with Kids: Make Breads, Muffins, Cookies, Pies, Pizza Dough and More! by Leah Brooks

Get ready to measure, mix, and decorate! Baking with Kids is just the book you need to help teach children to bake. Show your children how to safely use basic equipment in the kitchen and explain all about the important ingredients they’ll need to make the most delicious baked goods.

Dad’s Book of Awesome Science Experiments: From Boiling Ice and Exploding Soap to Erupting Volcanoes and Launching Rockets: 30 Inventive Experiments to Excite the Whole Family! by Mike Adamick

Don’t get caught off guard by your kids’ science questions! You and your family can learn all about the ins and outs of chemistry, biology, physics, the human body, and our planet with this book.

Dad’s Book of Awesome Projects by Mike Adamick

Inside, you’ll find step-by-step instructions and photographs detailing projects so imaginative and fun, no one will complain about turning off the TV.

The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn Iggulden

This book recaptures Sunday afternoons, stimulates curiosity, and makes for great father-son activities. The brothers Conn and Hal have put together a collection of things that make being young, or young at heart, fun.  Topics like building go-carts and electromagnets, identifying insects and spiders, to flying the world’s best paper airplanes are included.

Making 2016 a Year to Remember

I don’t know about you, but it seemed like 2015 went by way too fast. Even my friends are saying, “Where did the year go?”  While I did do some fun things last year, most of it was taken up by work, TV, and household chores.  It was basically the same thing day in and day out with little variety.  So in the New Year’s tradition I’ve set some goals.

My first goal for 2016 is to break out of the routine by spending more quality time with family and friends. Another goal is to work on the creative projects I’ve been putting off and maybe jump on the “makers” bandwagon.  My thought process is that if I accomplish more and spend meaningful time with the people I care about, then maybe I will feel like the year wasn’t a total blur.  Then again, time may go even faster…I guess I’ll find out.

Cozy Up to a Mystery

I started reading mysteries on the suggestion of a friend who loves everything Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle. Just to see what is out there in the book world, I typed the word mystery in the library’s search box and was blown away with just how many titles we have.  But what really started to stand out as I browsed through the list was a lot of themed mysteries.

If you are interested in it, chances are there is a mystery revolving around it. I found out that these are known as cozy mysteries.  So if you are new to the genre, here is a general description of what they are. 

What’s In a Month

The library has many interesting resources available for our patrons to use.  One that I enjoy browsing is Chase’s Calendar of Events.  This gem of a book lists worldwide festivals, celebrations, how certain holidays were started and important events/birthdays.

Have you ever noticed holidays listed on your calendar that you’ve never heard of before?  One such holiday is called Boxing Day.  I’ve always wondered what it was, so I looked it up using this nifty book.  Now I know that Boxing Day, usually December 26th, is recognized as the day to give gifts to people like Postal employees or other public service workers.  It is celebrated in many countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom.

Bats, Cats and Crows Bring Spooky Reading!

We’re getting into that time of year when the days are shorter and cooler. The stores are stocking up on apple cider and pumpkins. Children are getting excited to go trick-or-treating. People are decorating for Halloween…and there’s a stray black cat hanging around the neighborhood. The only thing that’s missing is a spooky story! So I polled the CCPL staff and in this post we are sharing some of our favorite reads that are a bit mysterious, thrilling, chilling, scary or spooky.

Kate (PR) likes:
Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley
Flavia is up to her old tricks. This time her investigations take her inside a 500 year-old crypt.

The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe
The Cask of Amontillado, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Black Cat…what more can I say?

Acceptable Risk by Robin Cook
Under pressure from his backers to complete research on an anti-depressant drug, Dr. Edward Armstrong experiments on himself with disastrous effects.

Helga (Circulation) likes:
Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman
Jane Hudson went to school in the Adirondacks and left after a tragedy took place. She returns years later as a Latin teacher. The past comes back to haunt her as girls start dying again.

What’s Cooler Than Being Cool? Having a Library Card!

Have you ever wondered how much all of the FREE resources that you use at the library would cost you, were you to go out and purchase them yourself? This handy calculator from ilovelibraries.org really puts the awesome savings that using the library has on your life in clear view. http://www.ilovelibraries.org/what-libraries-do/calculator

I did a quick calculation on my own library use for one month and my total was a staggering $672.00!! YIKES!! And that’s probably not as high as it could go, depending on what’s in my “to read queue.” 🙂

Vous allez bien? Très bien, merci!

95+ Languages Are At Your Fingertips: Transparent Language Online Available for FREE at Clark County Public Library

Planning a trip to Italy to celebrate your anniversary? Collaborating with your Chinese counterparts in your company’s Beijing branch? Just want to brush up that language you studied for four years in school but somehow can’t seem to remember at all? We’ve got you covered.

The Clark County Public Library offers Transparent Language Online to all library patrons, free of charge. Whether you’re starting at the very beginning with a new alphabet or you’re an intermediate learner looking to enhance your vocabulary and grammar knowledge, Transparent Language Online can help. Available for learning 95+ languages, plus English as a Second Language (ESL) materials for native speakers of 26+ languages, the program has something for everyone: